Chapter 4 Types of Rocket Motor

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2 Types of Rocket Motor Rocket motors can be classified into many types.Rocket propulsion systems that have moving parts, for example pumps and turbines, are called engines.Propulsion systems without moving parts are called motors.

3 Cold Gas The cold gas motor is the simplest form of rocket propulsionWhen thrust is needed a valve is opened.The gas escapes through a nozzle where it is accelerated.Cold gas motors are used in NASA’s Man Manoeuvring Unit (MMU)

4 Cold Gas Advantages Disadvantages Cheap Simple SafeUseful where small amounts of thrust are needed for short periods of time.Low thrustVery inefficient.

5 MonopropellantMonopropellant engines use a single chemical that spontaneously ignites in the presence of a catalyst.Some monopropellants can reach full operating temperature and pressure in 1/100 of a second or less, which makes them useful in applications where a short burst of thrust is required.

6 MonopropellantHydrogen peroxide and hydrazine are two common monopropellants.Very pure hydrogen peroxide, sometimes referred to as high test peroxide (HTP), is very unstable. When it comes into contact with a platinum catalyst it spontaneously decomposes to water and oxygen, releasing a lot of heat and creating superheated steam and oxygen.Hydrazine decomposes into ammonia, nitrogen and hydrogen at about 800ºC when it comes into contact with a platinum catalyst

7 Monopropellant Advantages Disadvantages SimplicityRelatively high specific impulseQuick responseEasy to controlChemical can be very dangerous to manufacture, transport and store.

8 BipropellantBi-propellant engines are a form of liquid propellant engine which require no ignition system.They use two chemical reagents which spontaneously ignite as soon as they come into contact with each other and release a lot of heat.Chemical reactions which spontaneously ignite are called hypergolic.

9 BipropellantNitrogen tetroxide and hydrazine are useful reagents in bi-propellant engines.They can be stored for long periods, are relatively light liquids, and react strongly.Bi-propellant engines based on these two chemicals are commonly used in satellites and deep space probes.

11 Solid MotorsSolid propellant motors are the most common type of rocket motorWhen the igniter fires it sets fire to the surface of the propellant. The hot gas from this combustion fills the hollow core of the motor and rushes out through the throat and nozzle.The propellant burns outwards from the core to the case until it has all been consumed, often referred to as burn out.

12 Solid MotorsSolid propellant rocket motors are ideal for applications which require a predictable thrust for a fixed period of time.Some common applications are:missileslaunch vehiclesmodel rocketssafety systemsejector seatsflaresfireworks

13 Solid MotorsThe propellant fills a metal case which serves as a combustion chamber.This motor is called a core burning motor as, after ignition, the hollow core of the motor burns outwards towards the walls of the case

15 Solid MotorsIf we had a transparent case we would see the propellant burn from the core outwardsAs the propellant burns from the core outwards, the burning surface area increases. The motor thus produces more gas per second.As more gas is produced the mass flow rate increases, so the thrust increases with time.This is called a progressive burn as thrust increases with time.

16 Solid MotorsRocket motor designers design the shape of the propellant to give specific thrust profiles.By changing the shape of the propellant inside the case it is possible to create motors with thrust profiles thatincrease with time (progressive)remain constant with time (neutral)decrease with time (regressive).

17 Solid Motors Advantages Disadvantages Easy to manufactureSimple to usePropellant is relatively safe to store and transportOnce ignited the propellant cannot be controlled or extinguished.

18 Liquid & Gas Engines Liquid & gas rocket engines are very complex.Fuel and an oxidiser, usually liquid oxygen (LOX) are burned in a combustion chamber to generate very high temperature exhaust gases.

19 Liquid & Gas EnginesEngines which use liquid or gaseous fuels are very common in large rocketsThey can be very efficient and have specific impulse up to 400 seconds.They can have very high thrust.

21 Liquid & Gas EnginesFuel and LOX are pumped into the combustion chamber at high pressure.Specially designed injectors mix the fuel and LOX to ensure that all the fuel is burned

22 Liquid & Gas EnginesSome of the fuel and LOX are used to power a turbine which drives the pumps.The waste gases from the turbine are at low temperature and are not used for propulsion.

23 Liquid & Gas Engines Vulcain rocket engine from EADSThe injector assembly (A) sprays the fuels and LOX into the chamber to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed before combustionThe bottom of the combustion chamber and throat (B) are very precisely manufactured to ensure the smooth flow of gas through the throatThe combustion chamber is surrounded by the pumps, turbine and valves for feeding fuel and LOX to the injectors.

25 Liquid & Gas EnginesThe exhaust gases in the combustion chamber, throat and nozzle achieve temperatures of over 2000C.This is hot enough to melt the steel from which the walls of the engine are made.The walls of the injector and combustion chamber are cooled by spraying a thin film of cool fuel on the walls of the chamber.

26 Liquid & Gas EnginesTo prevent the throat and nozzle from melting cold, high pressure, fuel is pumped through narrow pipes to cool the steel.This is called “regenerative cooling”

27 Liquid & Gas Engines HM7 engine made by EADSThe picture on the left shows the motor assemble, including the exhaust from the turbine.The picture on the right shows the fine mesh of cooling tubes for regenerative cooling of a nozzle.Each tube has to be accurately positioned and perfectly welded to prevent a catastrophic leak of hot fuel.

28 Liquid & Gas EnginesAnother technique for cooling the nozzle is to inject the used gases from the turbine.These form a thin film of (relatively) cool gas between the nozzle walls and the exhaust gas, preventing the nozzle wall from melting.This is called “film cooling”, sometimes called “curtain cooling”.

29 Liquid & Gas EnginesSome rocket engines use both regenerative cooling and curtain cooling.The F-1 engine, used on the Saturn 5 rocket, used both regenerative and curtain cooling to protect its very long nozzle.

30 Liquid & Gas EnginesThe F-1 rocket engine is the most powerful rocket engine ever built.It was cooled using regenerative cooling in the upper nozzle and curtain cooling in the lower nozzle.The regenerative cooling used a grid of pipes which surrounded the upper nozzle.The gases for curtain cooling were introduced from the turbine exhaust, which was wrapped around the lower nozzle.

31 Liquid & Gas EnginesThe fuel and oxidizer are stored in tanks inside the rocket body.Tanks are pressurized with an inert gas to force the fuel and oxidizer towards the engine.This arrangement is called a “blowdown” system.“Inert” means that the gas will not chemically react with the fuel or oxidiser.Helium is often used as the inert gas.

32 Uncontrolled copy not subject to amendmentLiquid & Gas EnginesThe fuel and propellant tanks are normally stacked one above the other.The chemical from the upper tank needs to be fed to the motor. In some rockets the pipe it external to the rocket.To save weight some rockets use one large tank which is divided by a bulkhead. The pipe from the upper tank is routed through the lower tank.Revision 1.00

33 Hybrid MotorsHybrid motors burn a solid propellant in a gaseous oxidiser. They are this a hybrid of a solid motor and a liquid/gas motor.The valve lets the oxidiser into the combustion chamber where it is ignited.The solid propellant will burn while the gas is flowing, but will stop when the valve closes.

34 Hybrid MotorsA hybrid motor uses a pressurised oxidiser in liquid or gaseous form and forces it through a solid propellant.The propellant can be a conventional solid propellant, or any material that can burn at a high temperature and produce gas.Plastics are commonly used as the propellant as they are intrinsically safe to manufacture and store.LOX or Nitrous Oxide are commonly used as the gaseous oxidiser.

35 Hybrid Motors Advantages Disadvantages Relatively simple constructionLow cost to build and operateMaterials are safe to manufacture and transportHigher specific impulse than some solid propellant motorsSome residual propellant is usually leftDifficult to relight

36 Electric PropulsionIon thrusters use electric and magnetic fields to accelerate gas ions to very high velocity, typically 30 km per secondThe momentum of the gas ions provides the thrust

37 Electric PropulsionThey are ideal as manoeuvring thrusters for satellites where low thrust and high efficiency are important.Ion thrusters have a very low mass flow rate (m-dot) but the gas has a very high velocity (30 km/s).Ion thrusters can only work in the vacuum of space. They do not work inside the atmosphere.

38 Electric Propulsion RIT XT Ion Thruster made by EADSThis small thruster provides about 0.1 Newtons of thrust. It is designed to be used as a manoeuvring thruster for satellites.It has a specific impulse better than 3000 seconds.The thruster is about 20cm across

40 Nuclear ThermalA light gas, ideally hydrogen, is pumped from a storage tank through a nuclear reactor.The reactor heats the gas to a very high temperature, and it expands through a de-Laval nozzle.

41 Nuclear ThermalNuclear thermal engines have the potential to offer both high thrust and a specific impulse of over 1000.There have been experiments to make nuclear thermal engines, starting with the NERVA programme in 1947, but these engines have yet to be used in a rocket.The difficulties are not technical but political; no nation wants nuclear reactors flying over it’s territory.

43 Solar ThermalSolar thermal propulsion focuses the sun’s rays on a small chamber through which gas is being pumped.The gas is heated to a temperature of 2000ºC, which causes it to expand through a nozzle.

44 Solar ThermalSolar thermal propulsion is a novel proposal for generating small thrusts for long durations with high efficiency.It is suitable to gradually accelerate small objects in space.The technology is currently unproven

45 Solar Thermal Advantages Disadvantages SimpleAvailability of limitless energy from the sun.Power decreases as the motor gets further from the SunThe need for accurate pointing of the mirrorThis technology has yet to be tried in space.